SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Fritz J. Heirich
Chief Executive Officer
Fritz joined ASCIP in 2012 and is responsible for the executive management of the organization and reports to the ASCIP Executive Committee. He is responsible for the development and execution of operational plans that implement the strategic vision of the Executive Committee and for the organizational leadership of ASCIP. Prior to ASCIP, Fritz served as the CEO for the Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF), a JPA partner to ASCIP. For most of his career, he has worked for member-owned property/casualty insurance entities and has served in various executive roles responsible for finance, actuarial, program design, business development and general management. For more than 14 years he served as the actuary and CFO for a group of member-owned insurance companies providing liability, workers’ compensation, directors & officers, property, and employee benefit insurance products. He holds an MBA degree from the University of California, Irvine and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Pepperdine University.
Jeff Grubbs
Chief Financial Officer
Jeff joined ASCIP in 2019 and is responsible for the executive management of ASCIP’s day-to-day operations and supervision of the finance and information technology operations. He has 30 years of experience in the insurance and risk management fields, including serving as COO and CFO of the pooling division of the nation’s largest self-insured group administrator. He is a Certified Public Accountant and past regional president of Financial Executives International. Jeff holds a Master of Science degree in Taxation from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University Sacramento.
Stephan Birgel
Chief Claims Officer, Property & Liability Program
Stephan joined ASCIP in 2015. He oversees the Property & Liability Program at ASCIP. He has been a member of the State Bar of California since 1995. Prior to joining ASCIP, Stephan handled defense litigation for almost 15 years on claims involving a wide range of public entity employment and liability matters. His clients included numerous school districts, community colleges, the Regents of the University of California and the California State University system. Stephan obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Business from California State University, Northridge, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of La Verne School of Law.
Shabbir Ahmed
Executive Director of Health Benefits
Shabbir joined ASCIP in 2024. He is the business leader for ASCIP’s health and welfare programs, responsible for program design, underwriting, insurer negotiations, member education, legislative updates, and regulatory compliance. Prior to ASCIP, he spent 30 years in the employee health benefits industry with both insurers and consultants. Shabbir holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of Texas in Austin.
Nidra Kumaradas
Executive Director of Workers’ Compensation
Nidra joined the ASCIP team in 2015 with over 25 years of California workers’ compensation claims experience. Nidra manages the ASCIP workers’ compensation program. This includes claims oversight and supervision of ASCIP’s third party administrators; assisting members with accessing ASCIP’s various risk management, loss control, and safety services; and working directly with members to identify and achieve their workers’ compensation goals. Nidra has a Bachelor of Science degree from Dalhousie University and holds a California Self-Insured Competency Certification.
Reshan Cooray
Executive Director of Property & Liability Programs
Reshan joined ASCIP in 2009 and is responsible for providing leadership and project management for a broad range of strategic organizational initiatives and coordinating ASCIP’s efforts to maintain and enhance programs and service offerings. Before joining ASCIP, he had 15 years of experience in various loss control and risk management roles in both private and public organizations. Reshan holds a Master of Public Health degree from Loma Linda University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of California of Riverside.
Martha Espinoza
Senior Director of Risk Services
Martha joined ASCIP in 2003. She is responsible for the design and delivery of ASCIP’s risk management and loss control services. In this role she matches effective and innovative risk control services with members’ needs. Prior to joining ASCIP, Martha had 12 years of industry experience in various safety and loss control roles. Martha holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from California State University, Los Angeles; a certificate in Occupational Health and Safety; and an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation.